Wednesday, September 30, 2015

(Moscow Times) - Divers in Crimea began construction of an underwater Russian Orthodox church, placing a giant cross at the bottom of the Black Sea, Crimean news service Krym.Realii reported Wednesday.

The 3-meter cross, styled as a ship anchor, will become the “initial structure, around which the world's first underwater temple will be built, which will bear the name of St. Nicholas — sailors' patron saint,” a spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church in Crimea was quoted by Krym.Realii as saying.

The cross was placed at a depth of 20 meters approximately 100 meters off the coast of Cape Fiolent, the report said.

Construction is sponsored by the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and Kremlin-linked nationalistic biker gang, the Night Wolves, the report said.

Orthodox Church leaders in Crimea hope the underwater temple will draw tourists to the peninsula, the spokesman was quoted by Krym.Realii as saying. The Russian government has been trying to promote Crimean tourism, following last year's annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.

No date for construction completion has been set, as the timing “will depend on many factors,” the spokesman was quoted by Krym.Realii as saying.

There's so much fishy about this article pardon the pun. There is NO mention of this on any official websites or press services of the Moscow Patriarchate or the local diocese in Crimea. A Russian article I found made NO mention of the night wolves involvement in this and the Moscow times article leaves out key elements From the Russian version and adds bull crap out of no where. There's no way this will be an actual church anyway, it's a cross and it will be (if even true) a few stone icons placed in a way to resemble a church. This article is highly dubious, but those Russophobes just eat this stuff up while any Russian or Moscow Patriarchal sources are "propaganda" or not to be trusted. Gimme a break!

About seven years ago, the members of the international dayvkluba the idea to create and install the bottom of the Black Sea, near the oldest in the Crimea St. George Monastery, an Orthodox cross that divers dive in the area would be able to pray to the Lord at depth. Activists turned up with this idea to Archimandrite Tikhon (Maslennikov), a priest of the diocese of the UOC MP Romny (Sumy region). He supported the idea, asked for the blessing of the ruling bishop of the Archdiocese of Romenskaya Joseph, who, in turn, received the full approval of this initiative by the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onuphrius.

On a good work for the glory of Holy Church divers blessed Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea Lazar. A great assistance rendered and Dean of the Sevastopol district Archpriest Sergei Halyuta. It was built a temporary wooden pedestal on which the cross was raised and put next to St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Chersonesos.

The cross was made by the divers of the metal coated with a layer of stainless steel. July 28, 2015, the feast day of St. Vladimir, underwater cross was consecrated Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan and Alexander.

Installing Cross postponed for various reasons, but, in the providence of God, on a clear sunny day on September 27, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, after the early Divine Liturgy, the installation took place. Before the underwater Cross prepared for transportation, gathered numerous believers, among whom were the inspirers of the idea, as well as bikers Sevastopol, who helped carry the heavy cross.

Before the start of the procession at the yacht club pier Chersonesos Archimandrite Tikhon and Archpriest Alexander Primak, cleric of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Chersonesos, served a short prayer service. Then, with the singing of the troparion "Thy Cross pokloyanemsya Vlydyko", the procession went to the yacht club. Cross was carefully transferred to the cutter, which, together with the divers went out and about. Tikhon to personally take part in the installation of the cross on the 20-meter depth in the pre-prepared three-ton slab.

After 2 hours, the boat arrived in the area of ​​the dive. The cross was successfully installed on the site. Divers prayed at the shrine, having asked for God's blessing on a pilgrimage to the cross scuba diving.

Archimandrite Tikhon (Maslennikov) - Event:

"As the Church is no division and the sea - one at all. Now we have another dive site, not just the dive, and worship. The most important thing is that we have to somehow sanctify this place. Himself Fiolent - a blessed place. Assume about it again speak, let him come here are people who, perhaps, by immersion in water to touch the edge of this beautiful, heart to touch our cross to our faith. Still, St. George's Monastery - one of the oldest. I am sure that along these cliffs were a lot of other monasteries that are still unknown. The place is gorgeous, gracious, quiet. I often go there myself here under the water.

We are very much looking for a place where to install underwater cross. Gone from the Cossack Bay and Cape Fiolent, looking for a place that had a depth of 20 meters, to avoid the bottom of the sand. The fact that the sand plate with a cross on the sly distortions. We were looking for a dense base rock. They searched for a long time, about a month, but have found a convenient platform. 20 meters - optimum depth. On the one hand, the cross will not be shaken by the surf, it will be stable, not to interfere with the courts - it is enough depth for such drawdown none vessel no. On the other hand, is the depth that is available for divers with proper training and certification. Greater depth would be problematic for diving. Light at a depth enough. The shape of the cross is made so that the water passes through the cross, that he was less windage.

We want to put in place the further installation of the cross on the card, so that everyone could find it quickly. Hide the cross, we are not going to, because the church is a treasure.

To cross the buoy is attached, which will be hidden under a meter of water. The coordinates of the cross will be known, and the buoy will serve as a visual indicator. Let us pray that this place has become a popular dive divers from around the world. "

So this isn't a "church" on the bottom of the sea, and it's not for tourism purposes, and it was approved by the CANONICAL Metropolitan Kiev and all the Ukraine. I think the local night wolves chapter was of course there and participated but the Moscow times slapping on the "Kremlin backed" label shows their bias. Also, if you are in Washington DC for Memorial Day you see lots of bikers come to town and lots of "biker gang" members in churches especially in the OCA and ROCOR cathedrals. Not all bikers are criminals!

The below is a huge blow to the idea of a united, canonical Orthodox Church in America. When ROCOR declared that they didn't want to be ...

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."